Guard your home from winter dangers with home insurance coverage

With this winter already bringing its fair share of wintry weather to locations all over the country, many families are likely to deal with a host of home repairs caused by the ice and snow.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 22 percent of monetary losses by homeowners in 2007 were caused by winter storms, water damage, or freezing for more than $1 billion.

Among the dangers that houses face during the winter months is "ice damming," which blocks water from dripping down the house’s gutters and instead builds up and seeps into the house through the ceiling and walls.

Additionally, families that forget to leave their faucets on to keep water moving through the pipes risk the danger of the frozen pipes, which can cause substantial damage if not corrected quickly.

"Everyone should also know how to shut their home's water system off," said Michael Barry, vice president of Media Relations at the institute. "If water freezes and pipes burst, time is of the essence to keep damage to a minimum."

According to the institute, the best way to protect one's home against the winter elements is to take out home insurance coverage, as even the most basic plans cover any type of burst pipes, wind damage, or problems resulting from downed trees and power outages.